Leather-splitting machine.



A. A. CHILSON. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1508.

909,157. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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UNTTQD STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

AMORY A. CHILSON, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-SPLITTING D/IACHINE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMORY A. CHILsON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to leather-splitting machines, and more particularly to the type of apparatus forming the subject-matter of United States Patent No. 596,440, granted to Barton December 28, 1897, and No. 626,858 granted to me June 13, 1899.

In each of the atented machines the leather to be split is f d to the cutting edge of a longitudinally moving band-knife between an upper gage-roll and a lower sectional feedroll, the latter being driven by frictional engagement with a large positively driven rubber roll.

The sectional roll comprises a series of relatively narrow metal rollers mounted loosely on a transverse spindle, collars fast on the spindle maintaining the rollers in proper lateral position, the action of the rubber roll on the metal rollers pressing them firmly against the leather passing to the knife between the sectional roll and the gage-roll above.

By making the sectional roll of a series of small rollers they yield to inequalities in the leather and effect a better feed thereof than would be possible with a single, or non-sectional feed-roll.

At the resent time so-called chrome stock is sp it before tanning, the hide being taken out of the lime and split while it is wet and in a very slimy condition, so that when the operator is manipulating the hide the feed rolls slip if the hide is held back, as it must be from time to time. As a result the rolls will not pick up and feed the hide forward when released by the operator, and a great deal of trouble is experienced in operating the machine. To overcome this objection the gage-roll has been roughened or corrugated, but it has been found that the stock is marked and damaged thereby, the grain being next said roll.

The present practice is to bark-tan the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 438,945.

split or skiving while the grain is chrome tanned, hence the splitting must be effected before the tanning, as there is little commercial value in chrome tanned splits.

My present invention has for its particular object the production of a sectional roll so constructed and arranged that it has all of the valuable features of the common sectional roll used in the patented machines referred to, without the objections above noted when the splitting apparatus is used to split wet and slimy stock.

In accordance with my invention I make the sectional roll of a series of relatively narrow rollers placed side by side on the spindle and relatively movable thereon to accommodate inequalities of the stock, each of the rollers or sections having a non-metallic annular feed portion and a narrow metal flange or rib at each side thereof.

The feed portion is preferably made of rubber and by contact with the large rubber roll the several sections or rollers are kept in rotation even when the stock is held back, and will instantly pick up and feed the stock to the knife whenever the operator slackens his hold.

A smooth surfaced gage-roll is used with my improved sectional roll, so that no marking or injuring of the grain of the stock can occur.

I find in practice that no matter how wet or slimy the stock it will be fed accurately and with entire satisfaction by the use of my improved sectional roll.

The metallic flanges or ribs on the roll sections protect the non-metallic feed portions thereof so that if the knife runs bare, as it often does, it cannot out into the rubber. Were it not for these protective flanges the bare knife would tend to press into and out the rubber, as the large rubber driving roll is constantly acting to press the sectional roll toward the cutting edge of the knife.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View of a sufficient portion of a leather-splitting machine such as shown in the patents referred to, with my present invention applied thereto Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in front elevation showing the gage and sectional rolls, and the rubber roll, the sectional roll being shown partly in section; Fig. 3 is a partial diametral cross-section of one of the rollers of the series which make up the sectional feed roll.

Referring to Fig. 1 the main frame A, beam A the gage-roll B, the backing-roll B over it, the rubber roll B positively driven and supporting and driving the sectional feed-roll, to be described, the front and back ring-plates O, C, and the bed D to support the bandknife K and the back plates, may be and are all substantially as shown in the patents hereinbefore referred to and operate as therein set forth.

The stock S is fed to the knife between the gage-roll B and the sectional feed-roll, and the latter, in accordance with my present invention comprises a series of roll-sections or rollers loosely mounted side by side on a spindle or shaft 1 suitably supported at its ends in the machine.

Each roll-section is herein shown as a cylindrical body 2 having a central, axial opening 3 of somewhat larger diameter than the shaft 1, the body having at each end a circular guard-lip or flange 4, having an annular,

relatively broad groove 5, Fig. 3, filled with an annular feed portion 6 of non-metallic material, preferably rubber.

In practice the body of the roll-section is conveniently made as a metal casting, and I have found that an extreme diameter of 1 inches and a width of 1%} inches makes a very eflicient section, the circular faces of the guard-lips being about of an inch wide. This gives a width of one inch for the circular face of the feed portion 6, which as shown is substantially flush with the lips, the rubber being in practice vulcanized in the groove or seat 5 so that it will not slip on the body.

A clearance of about of an inch between the diameter of the bore 3 and the shaft 1 affords the necessary looseness and movement of the roll-sections relative to each other required by inequalities in the thickness of the stock. Said roll-sections are arranged side by side on the shaft 1 and are held in place by collars, as 7, Fig. 2, one at each end of the series, fixed on the shaft and limiting endwise movement of the roll-sections. The latter are in constant engagement with and are supported and rotated by the rubber roll B the contact of the rubber feed portions 6 with said roll insuring a continuous rotation of the roll-sections by the roll B whether the stock is free to be fed to the knife or held back by the operator. firm, close gri on the stock is effected by the rubber 6 of t e roll-sections, no matter how wet and slimy the stock may be, so that if the latter is released after being held it is at once picked up and fed forward by the sectional feed roll.

In splitting stock the knife will sometimes run bare, owing to thin places in the stock or narrow parts, and at such times the pressure of the driving roll B would tend to push the roll-sections up against the edge of the knife, and the latter would pinch up and cut into the rubber feed portions 6 were it not for the metallic guard-lips i, which act to fend ofi or hold the rubber away from the edge of the knife.

My invention is particularly adapted for operating on wet and slimy stock but it is not restricted thereto, as it may be used equally well on tanned, dry stock, and various changes in detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my in vention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination with the cutting-knife, of a gageroll, a sectional roll adjacent thereto, and a rubber driving roll in frictional engagement with and to rotate the sectional roll, the latter comprising a shaft, and a series of rela tively movable rollers loosely rotatable thereon each having an annular non-metallicfeed portion and a metallic guard lip at each side thereof.

2. In a leather-splitting machine, the com bination with a cutting-knife, of feed-rolls for the stock, one of said rolls comprising a series of separate, relatively narrow rollers each having an annular non-metallic feed portion, and a metal guard portion to prevent the knife from cutting into the feed por tion, and a shaft on which said rollers are loosely mounted.

3. In a leather-splitting machine, in combination, a smootlisurfacecl gage-roll, and a sectional feed-roll comprising a series of relatively narrow roll-sections each having a central annular feed portion of rubber and a metallic guard-lip at each side thereof, and a shaft on which said roll sections are loosely mounted side by side.

4. In a leather-splitting machine, in combination, a smooth-surfaced gage-roll, and a sectional feed-roll comprising a series of rela tively narrow metallic roll-sections each having a wide peripheral groove and a circular guard lip at each side thereof, a rubber feed portion fixedly held in the groove with its cylindrical surface substantially flush with the guard-lips, and a transverse support on which said roll-sections are loosely and rotatably mounted.

5. The combination, in a leather-splitting machine having a band-knife, a smooth-surfaced gage-roll, and a continuously rotated rubber roll, of a sectional feed-roll comprising a series of metallic roll-sections each having a central annular feed-portion of rubber to engage and feed the stock and a metal guard-lip at each side, and a central, relaguard-lip at each side of said feed-portion, tively broad annular feed portion of rubber and a shaft on which the roll-sections are interposed between the guard-lips. loosely rotatable and located side by side, In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 the rubber roll being in continuous engagename to this specification, in the presence of 15 ment with and supporting the feed-portions two subscribing witnesses.

of the roll-sections. i AMORY A. CHILSON.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a Witnesses: sectional feed-roll comprising a series of FLORENCE M. LooKE,

10 metallic roll-sections each having a circular GEORGE P. NEvERs. 

